The Most Amazing Slides in the World

Whether you're seeking a bit of thrill or just some design eye candy, these 15 slides will deliver.

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The Slide: Sky Walk in Dolní Morava, Czech Republic

The Concept: Last winter, this resort known for skiing and hiking added another draw for adventurous travelers: the Sky Walk. Designed by Fránek Architects, the observation tower has a 180-foot viewpoint that looks out onto the Morava river valley, a mesh web where visitors can lay, floating in the mountain air, and, for the ultimate thrill-seekers, a 328-foot metal slide (that's an 18-story drop!).

The Concept: Daredevils rejoice! L.A.'s U.S. Bank Tower (the tallest building west of Chicago) just opened a glass slide that stands 1,000 feet above the ground and will transport you from the structure's 70th to 69th floors. It's possibly the most thrilling (or terrifying) view of downtown L.A.!

The Concept: Part clock tower, part art installation, and part observation deck, this structure is one of the highlights of the Vitra Design Museum and Campus. Artist Carsten Höller is behind this 100-foot-tall tower, which boasts an even longer (over 124 feet long!), twisting tube slide.

The Concept: If winter sports are more your speed, look out for this U-shaped residential building that will have a built-in ski slope on its roof. The 1,000 foot-long, 21-story slope conceived by architect Shokhan Mataibekov will be open year-round with artificial snow in the warmer months.

The Concept: New York City's newest park space is a collection of four hills on Governors Island, engineered for ideal views of the city and the most perfect hiking trails. One of the hills is even dedicated entirely to slides! Among the four chutes is the city's longest at 57 feet long.

The Slide: Jumeirah Sceirah at Wild Wadi Waterpark in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

The Concept: Luxury resort Jumeirah has overhauled their Dubai water park with a tower that's over 100 feet tall. It propels brave guests down an almost 400-foot-long slide at 50 miles per hour. That's next-level resort life if we ever saw it!

The Concept: Ever wished you could ride to your next class on a slide? At this German university, you can! Thrill-seeking students can opt out of taking the stairs or elevator and, instead, shoot down four stories of this academic building on one of two chutes.

Photograph courtesy of Technical University of Munich

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The Slide: Black Slide Mantra at Odori Park in Sapporo, Japan

The Concept: Legendary sculptor and landscape architect Isamu Noguchi is famous for his playground designs. Many of the parks were never actually built, but his beloved Slide Mantra—part sculpture, part children's play structure—was one that successfully made it from the drawing boards into reality. The artist made the slide black so that it would stand out in the snowy city.

The Concept: Artist Anish Kapoor's structure (the tallest art installation in the U.K.) was built for the 2012 Olympics, but its final component—a slide—was added just last month. The Carsten Höller-designed piece loops a total of 12 times within the structure for a thrilling 580-foot-long trip that lasts over 40 seconds!

The Concept: You wouldn't expect a waste plant to be home to a recreational center, but this Bjarke Ingels-designed structure has both. The roof of the industrial incinerator is outfitted with a ski slope, complete with trees and bunny hills for beginners. It's set to open in 2017.